Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tom Osborne

MR. T. OSBORNE: Do you know why we should not be faced with having to make that decision? Because of the promise that the Prime Minister has made.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

MR. T. OSBORNE: Mr. Chair, these are the words of Prime Minister Stephen Harper when he said, "This is a commitment that was made by me in my capacity as leader of the Canadian Alliance when I first arrived here and has it origins in the intentions of the Atlantic Accord signed by former Prime Minister Mulroney in the mid-1980s. These are longstanding commitments, our commitment to 100 % of non-renewable resource royalties. It was our commitment during the election, before the election, and it remains our commitment today."

Well, what happened, Mr. Chair, to his commitment, when you have a Province like Nova Scotia who has pulled out of the Atlantic Accord, and a Province like Newfoundland and Labrador who have to seriously consider our options? It is a broken promise.